BASSETERRE (4th December 2013): The cruise season got off to an excellent start in November with close to 80,000 passengers expected to have come ashore from 28 cruise ship visits.
Last week Thursday St. Kitts received four cruise ships calls, bringing a total of about 8,188 passengers to the island.
Port Zante buzzed with economic flurry as dispatchers directed tourists to tour and taxi operators to go sight-seeing, sea and sun bathing on the beaches, snorkeling, sailing to Nevis, horseback riding, golfing, casino gambling, shopping, biking and wide variety of other adventures.
Projections for the 2013-2014 season call for more than 700,000 guests expected from 183 ship days.
Also, 15 new cruise ships will visit during this season. One of those ships, the Carnival Conquest, visited the destination in November with 3,700 passengers.
Acting Chief Executive Officer, Carolyn James, commemorates the inaugural visit of the Carnival Conquest with a plaque exchange with the Captain.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Carolyn James, went onboard the Carnival Conquest to personally welcome the Captain, and present him with a plaque to commemorate the inaugural visit.
“The inaugural call of the Carnival Conquest is a testament to the quality of the destination’s expanding infrastructure,” James said. “St. Kitts can provide an authentic Caribbean experience that clearly appeals to cruise passengers.”
James pointed out that St. Kitts’ survival as a cruise destination depends on the ability of tourism industry to deliver value-added services to guests on a sustainable basis.
“Our guests need to feel that we want them here,” James said. “Visitors need to feel welcomed, and the needs of each guest must be respected individually if they are to give our destination a good report. And I hasten to add that our guests do not expect to be harassed or want to experience angry situations and personal abuse.”